Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill are located in the Waterberg region of the Limpopo province and only 3 hours north of Johannesburg International Airport. This beautiful area is malaria free and at an altitude of 4500 feet above sea level offers a wonderful climate and can be visited all year round.
At both Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill there are two dedicated and hardworking teams who endeavor to give each guest a memorable African riding experience. They are all enthusiastic handpicked for their love of wildlife, horses and hospitality.
Due to the diverse vegetation both Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill carry an incredible range of different game species. There are: rhino, sable antelope, buffalo, nyala, gemsbok (oryx), kudu, giraffe, livingstone eland, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, zebra, impala, bushbuck, duiker, steenbuck, mountain reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog, blesbuck, baboons, bushpig, klipspringer, leopard, jackal, brown hyena, caracal, civet, genet to name but a few. There are approximately 300 recorded bird species in the area to add to the exquisite variety of all forms of wildlife that the reserves support.
The horses live out and graze amongst the game on a daily basis, the thoroughbreds being stabled at night. This has allowed the game to become habituated to the horses thus giving one a unique opportunity of really getting in and amongst the various species whilst riding.
The sumptuous home cooking and dining takes place in a variety of places and outside whenever possible. The day normally starts off with a light breakfast although a cooked breakfast is available on request. A light lunch is served around midday, followed by high-tea prior to your afternoon game viewing. A scrumptious three course dinner or bbq rounds off the day.

Ants Hill
Ant’s Hill is located on a private game reserve, and is a relatively new game lodge with 6 bedrooms which includes a family cottage and a heated swimming pool.
There is a string of approx 60 horses (between the two properties), which are fit, responsive and reliable and also totally adapted to the African environment. The horses range from thoroughbreds, tough African Boerperd, and exciting crossbreeds. They take great care in matching the rider’s ability and confidence to their preference in type and responsiveness of their mount. Rides vary in pace and duration according to our guests desires and ability.
They pride themselves in the unique flexibility, each day is tailored to suit the guests that are staying and they are able to offer up to 3 different activities in any one morning or afternoon. Guests who are purely interested in riding may spend up to 6 hours a day in the saddle during morning and afternoon rides, either guided scenic game drives or scenic riding, whilst those not as enthusiastic can enjoy a mixture of riding as well as other activities such as guided walks, mountain biking or game drives. (Which are all included in the price).
The saddles are Maclelan saddles, designed for the comfort of both horse and rider alike; there are also a few English saddles available should guests prefer an English saddle.
It is recommended that all guests bring a riding hat although they stock a selection of sizes at the lodge.
Enjoy the wonderful accommodation along with great food, including local wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks. Watch the sun go down with a beer and plan your next days adventures.

Ants Nest
Ant’s Nest is where it all began. Situated in the private game reserve and lying in a natural amphitheatre, is the original homestead, with its wide verandas, has a classic African atmosphere. The luxurious en-suite rooms accommodate a maximum of only twelve guests in six bedrooms. There is a 15-metre heated swimming pool in the garden, ideal for those needing some exercise or great for kids. A wide variety of game frequents the waterhole in front of the house where horses and dogs mingle with the native wildlife. During high season Ant’s Nest is booked predominantly on an exclusive basis i.e. to one group of guests at a time, although out of high season you can also book on an individual room basis.
The ethos is to create a bush home experience where one can become part of a working reserve and learn about the bush by experiencing being part of it from horseback. The riding options are virtually the same as at Ants Hill, where guests can be in the saddle for up to 6 hours a day. Wake up times, meals; activities etc are all dictated by the guests to tailor the stay. Other activities can be a shopping trip to the local town for a variety of African local arts and crafts. Guests are always welcome to join in on any management activities on the reserves such as game capture and relocation, treating injured animals, burning firebreaks, doing game census on horseback etc, this is a truly amazing experience that family, couples and singles will love. You can even get married on top of the mountain with everything is taken care of, all you need to do is tell us what you want, and we’ll do our best to make your dream come true! (please ask for details).

Triple B Ranch
The ranch is one of the oldest family ranches in the Waterberg Mountains. Set in this area of outstanding natural beauty, and operating as a working cattle, game and crop ranch, Triple B offers 20,000 acres of superb riding country, and yet is only 2.5 hours from Johannesburg. The ranch has a great range of horses that are highly responsive, many have been broken and reared on the ranch. The ethos of the ranch is to remain flexible and therefore be able to meet the needs of the guests, be they beginner or experienced rider. This allows the ranch to be able to offer a good variety of riding experiences, including riding with game, cattle gathering, polocrosse, cross country jumping, swimming with horses, western games, 2 day safari, natural horsemanship demonstrations and of course breathtaking scenic rides.
A number of non-riding activities are on offer for those feeling saddle weary and one of the most popular is their Big Five Game Drive with a chance of seeing Lions and Elephants from the comfort and safety of a jeep.
The Horizon lodge overlooks a beautiful lake normally home to the resident hippo pod. The large colonial veranda is the perfect spot to take in the beauty of South Africa, while listening to hippo and jackal calls. Guests are accommodated in six ensuite accommodations that offer a private and homely place to relax after a long day in the saddle. The swimming pool enables guests to cool off after a hot summer’s day.
Food is Horizon’s second love. Before an early morning ride, guests are offered a light breakfast. After working up an appetite on your ride, lunch is enjoyed under the giant Syringa tree in the garden, followed by afternoon tea & cake at about 3.00pm. Dinner is a sociable and sumptuous affair, during which the day’s adventures, or misadventures, are recounted with great delight. Carefully planned three-course menus are accompanied by a selection of fine South African wines. Fresh vegetables and homegrown herbs are used in all recipes, with the homemade breads and cakes freshly baked on a daily basis.

The Horizon Safari
The luxury Dinaka Lodge is situated in a picturesque valley in the Waterberg Mountains, 230 kilometres north of Johannesburg. Set high above a large hippo dam, the lodge offers sweeping views of the surrounding plains.
Riding is English style in comfortable western McClellan saddles. The horse are willing and responsive including, Anglo-Arabs, TB’s, Boerperds and Crossbreeds. Ideal for those of a strong intermediate to advanced level, expect plenty of fast horseback rides with gallops across open sandy tracks and opportunities to experience that dream canter alongside herds of antelope.
One of the first to reintroduce game into the Waterberg, the 9,000-hectare reserve is teeming with thousands of wildlife including, the impressive rhino, mountain zebra, klipspringer, buffalo and the yellow spotted rock hyrax. The habitat ranges from thick bush and open grassland, to mountain slopes and marshland, and while essentially
mountainous, the region’s extensive plains give riders the opportunity to view large concentrations of game not normally seen in highland areas.
Offering an unforgettable horseback safari experience, riders can track the majestic white rhino, the Dinaka reserve holding one of the oldest breeding herds in the country. Other trails lead riders deep into the heart of the Waterberg escarpment where the rare and endangered Cape Griffon nests.
Perched atop a cliff, all the rooms in the stunning stone and thatch lodge overlook the Little Sand River. Guests have a choice of 3 deluxe bedrooms and 2 standard bedrooms, each with a private bathroom and patio.
Alternative activities include bush walks and informative 4x4 game drives
with the chance to learn more about reserve management, get up close and personal with Cape buffalo and catch a glimpse of some of the region’s nocturnal animals, such as the brown hyena. Guests are also invited to kick back and relax at the lodge with a sundowner, sunbathe above the hippo dam or soak in the Jacuzzi.

Big 5 Safari
For an unforgettable, big five riding adventure combine four nights in South Africa on the Horizon Safari staying at Dinaka Lodge and four nights in Botswana, with Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris. This horseback safari combines responsive well-loved horses with the magic of riding with game in stunning wilderness areas.
The Horizon Safari is in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The Safari is based on a private reserve in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains in a UNESCO biosphere reserve, one of the last true wilderness areas of South Africa. Species to be seen include rhino, hippo, buffalo, black impala, giraffe, ostrich and zebra.
In addition riders will encounter a wide variety of antelope, including the impressive eland and sable, and the exquisite steenbuck. Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris is in the Tuli Block, home to Mashatu Game Reserve and known as “The Land of the Giants”. This is an area of great diversity, magnificent vistas and land formations as ancient as time itself.
It is also home to a multitude of wildlife species and remains untouched by the invasion of man. The riding trails cover both the riverine terrain and the true African mopane bushveld, including the famous sandstone formations of the Tuli. The richness of the Mashatu horse safari experience is complemented by the prevalence of regularly sighted species such as lion, leopard, elephant and hyena. The Botswana part of the safari can now be done either as a Mobile camping safari or enjoying the added comforts of a static camp, depending on the time of the year.